


All the Jingle Ladies

by Myulalie



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: 500 Words Challenge, Advent Calendar, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Christmas Caroling, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Couch Cuddles, Crushes, Dates, F/F, First Kiss, First Meeting, Fluff, Ice Skating, Malec Discord Server, Morning Sex, Secret Santa, Snow, Ugly Sweaters, faerieland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 11,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myulalie/pseuds/Myulalie
Summary: All Aline wants for Christmas is you, Helen.500 words ficlets for Heline.
Relationships: Helen Blackthorn/Aline Penhallow
Comments: 49
Kudos: 33





	1. Utterly enchanting

**Author's Note:**

> You can tweet me at **#myulalie**!
> 
> This event is organized by the Malec Discord Server, special thanks to AceOnIce for suggesting the prompts ♥ You can find the [advent calendar here](https://calendar.myadvent.net/?id=49b0ca26ce06bd8c9e483155d0a0b9c1), as for me I'll... not be posting every day since I'm already running late ;)
> 
>   
> masterpost [here](https://myulalie.tumblr.com/post/638427706359431168/all-the-jingle-ladies-masterpost-utterly)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Established relationship, surprise date, prompt: candy cane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [Em](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemilyj/pseuds/thatnerdemilyj) for beta-reading this ficlet ♥

The snow covered path waltzed through the land under the hill and Aline looked around gingerly as she stepped over the frozen forest floor. The ice reflected her slanted eyes and the tip of her nose poking out of the thick burgundy scarf wrapped around her neck. She held her coat tighter around her, the black gloves covering her hands barely able to fend off the cold.

“Helen?” she called hesitantly.

“Over here!”

The blonde waved Aline over, covered in green wool. She looked like a pine tree, but it was the only thing remotely resembling a pine tree in the so-called forest. Everything around Aline was red and white, the colors swirling around giant candy canes like a forest of peppermint sweets. Faerieland was usually a peculiar place, but Aline felt like she had wandered in Wonderland instead.

Helen grinned, the tip of her nose a lovely shade of red and her eyes sparkling as she spread her arms to give a twirl. Aline could not help but smile at the sight of her girlfriend. She stepped closer, sliding her hands beneath the other girl’s coat and hugged Helen, rubbing their cold noses together.

“Where are we?”

“The Peppermint Forest!” Helen replied cheerfully.

Aline laughed and nudged her scarf out of the way to peck Helen on the lips. The blonde preened at the attention and wrapped her arms around Aline’s shoulders, bringing them closer. Aline went willingly, already happy with how their date had turned out. This was sweet, and utterly enchanting.

“So, are they actually edible?” she asked, glancing around.

“I don’t know,” Helen wrinkled her nose, and her eyes narrowed playfully, “Wanna try?”

She let go of Aline, not without kissing the brunette’s cheek, and sauntered towards the closest candy cane. It was twice, if not thrice her size and Helen leaned in with a mischievous grin, flicking her tongue out to get a taste of the giant candy cane. Aline shrieked and grabbed her girlfriend’s arm, yanking her away, but it was too late. Helen had licked the candy cane.

“I’m not kissing you until you’ve brushed your teeth at least twice!” Aline threatened.

“Chicken,” Helen teased her, clucking mockingly as she flapped her arms.

She tried to corner Aline, but the brunette evaded Helen with ease, moving around the candy cane. They ran in a circle for a while, laughing, before coming to a stop on either side of the giant candy cane, staring at each other. Waiting, for the other one to move to give chase.

“What does it taste like?” Aline asked reluctantly.

“Peppermint,” Helen deadpanned.

Aline made a face, not sure she believed her girlfriend, and pointed a threatening finger at Helen.

“You're still brushing your teeth before you get a kiss. Twice.”

“What a shame, I had plans for tonight,” Helen shrugged.

Aline blushed and didn’t reply, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand instead and tugging her towards the path. Helen followed sagely, but smacked a loud kiss on Aline’s cheek, giggling fiercely.


	2. Summer shades in her eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline is a mess when Helen is around, prompt: mistletoe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Spark for beta-reading this ficlet ♥

The demon towers light up snowball fights late into the night. Aline grabs the hem of her midnight blue dress and dodges a particularly powerful throw from one of the Blackthorn’s children on her way to the Guard, where the Christmas reception is taking place.

She’s part of the lucky ones that got a day off for Christmas, and the Accord Hall is sparkling with Christmas decorations when she walks in. There is a pine tree in the middle of the fountain, and Aline waves at Alec and Magnus, intent on congratulating them for organizing the event. They all need a break after the Valentine debacle.

Aline’s heels echo in the hall as she makes her way across, when suddenly, she walks into an invisible wall. She frowns, taking a step back, and glances around. Her hand falls to the seraph blade strapped to her thigh before she realizes there is no threat to be wary of.

This is just one of Magnus’ ideas of a Christmas party, she understands as she looks up to find mistletoe hanging above her head.

“Are you alright?” a familiar voice calls.

Helen walks up to Aline before she can wave the other woman away and Aline pales, shaking her head frantically. The blonde gives Aline an odd look, pushing a golden ringlet of hair behind her ear, and steps closer, definitely locking herself in place in Magnus’ magical trap.

“I’m fine,” Aline hurries to say, glaring at the High Warlock over Helen’s shoulder.

“Are you sure? You look...” Helen trails off when their eyes meet, “beautiful.”

Aline gasps and Helen ducks her head, a fire spreading on her cheeks. She peers at Aline through her eyelashes, her blue-green eyes unrepentant and the brunette realizes that Helen is blatantly checking her out, from the thigh holster to the low neck line of her dress.

Helen herself looks breath-taking in a light gray suit that sets off the summer shades in her eyes. Aline shifts, looking helplessly at Alec who smiles encouragingly at her, making no move to get her out of her predicament. Aline breathes in deeply and faces Helen again.

“We’re trapped under the mistletoe,” she points out as calmly as possible.

The blonde glances at the green leaves above them and grins, immediately leaning in to grab Aline’s waist. Their chests brush and Aline only has time to blink before Helen’s lips are on hers, with the taste of peppermint. Helen kisses her one last time, at the corner of Aline’s lips, and steps back. 

Aline falters and stumbles out of the magical trap, and Helen catches her around the waist again, grinning still. Aline cannot meet the blonde’s eyes, so she fiddles with the braid crowning her head, a hairstyle she spent more time doing than she’s willing to admit.

“You know, when I imagined you falling into my arms, I didn’t mean it quite that literally,” Helen breathes out.

“Can we go back to kissing?” Aline blurts out.

Helen complies.


	3. Faerie accessories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens in the library, prompt: snowflake.

They meet in the library. Aline just came back from a tour of the Institutes around the world, jumping from London to Los Angeles (she missed Helen), to Shanghai and back to Alicante, and Helen was in the Seelie Realm these last few days.

Helen looks ethereal in white, like the cold can’t get to her and her hair falls in golden waves down her back. She moves across the room like she’s dancing, and Aline sets her book back on the shelf with a deep inhale. 

She can’t forget to breathe again.

Last time, she fainted and woke up with Helen leaning over her, worry painted all over her beautiful face. Today Helen is smiling, and she stops a breath short of Aline, holding her hands behind her back. Her shoulders are slim, like rose petals covered in morning dew.

“Hi,” Helen greets.

“Hey,” Aline whispers back, still staring at the other woman’s skin.

Snowflakes, Aline realizes, in Helen’s hair too. She rubs her chin, wonders if she looks dim in comparison to Helen’s glowy complexion. Aline spends her days locked away in her mother’s office, and her tawny skin only gets to see the sunlight when she steps out of a portal in a different country.

“You have something here,” she goes on, reaching out to pluck a snowflake from Helen’s hair.

“Oh, these are faerie accessories, it’s custom to wear something from nature.”

Helen smiles as she explain, but Aline’s hand falls to her side and she bites her lip in shame. Now, Helen knows how ignorant Aline really is. She’s just like others shadowhunters, those who sneer at the lovely shape of Helen’s pointed ears. There is no way Helen will want to go out with Aline now, and she hangs her head in dismay.

“Would you like to come with me to the Seelie Court next time? I could show you around,” Helen offers without noticing Aline’s inner turmoil.

Aline looks up so fast her neck hurts, but she doesn’t care, “Yes please! I want to know everything about you!” Helen blinks, and Aline amends, “I mean, about your experiences in the Seelie Court.”

“Oh,” Helen sighs, and ducks her head.

The blonde shuffles her feet, her shoulders suddenly tense as though she clenched her hands into fists behind her back. The library is empty except for them, and the light coming through the window is pale like the snow outside.

“Actually, I’d like to know more about you too,” Helen speaks up again.

Aline can’t quite believe her ears, “As in… ?”

“I meant going to the Seelie Court together, on a date,” Helen clarifies.

She smiles, revealing pointy teeth, and Aline can’t help but smile back, and swoon a little.

“It’s a date then!” she beams, adding, “And sorry about the snowflake.”

She gestures helplessly at Helen’s golden hair. The blonde grabs Aline’s hand midair and presses a kiss to her knuckles. Aline shivers, and they exchange secret, impatient smiles. She can’t wait.


	4. A thousand stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen and Aline meet for the first, and maybe last time, prompt: lights.

They meet in front of the carousel and bask in the glow of golden lights like a thousand stars. The wood is painted in pastel pink and blue, gilding surrounding the tower like cresting. The horses are draped with dark blue and gold, and beneath their hooves sleek, polished wood awaits them.

It’s the second time today, and Aline promised herself she would see Helen again. The city is sleeping, winter weighs on every one of them like the snow on the roofs, and the carousel is almost empty. It comes around with a happy jingle, lowering the wooden horses as it comes to a stop.

“Ride with me?” Aline offers, holding her hand up for Helen.

The blonde smiles and pushes a blond strand of hair behind her ear. Her face is barely visible in the heavy scarf she wrapped around her neck, dark blue like the night sky above them. Helen grabs Aline’s hand and follows her onto the carousel, but none of them makes a move to straddle any of the horses. 

Instead, they sit in the wooden coach. It’s curved like a moon, dark blue that sparkles with golden stars, and the bench is discouragingly uncomfortable. It’s a tight fit, and Aline can feel the length of Helen’s body next to her.

“Thanks for coming,” she whispers as the carousel goes round again.

“It felt like I had missed something and this was the only chance to get it back,” Helen whispers.

“I felt it too.”

Aline listens to the all too happy music of the carousel, and wonders. Is this even a chance? Are they bound to be the ones that got away? Tonight is the last time they will see each other. The lights are bright around them, and in the distance the city dozes off. Helen looks ethereal, almost like she stepped out of a fairy tale and Aline feels lucky she gets to witness such magic.

“Run away with me,” she asks before she can think it through.

Helen startles, but the carousel goes round again and the music jingles, as though the wooden horses are about to race each other. No one can run forever, yet Aline wishes they could. She feels warm now, with Helen pressed so tight against her side, and when Aline peers at the blonde, Helen finally feels real, right there with her.

“Where would we go?”

“Anywhere,” Aline glances at the map on the world, painted on the ceiling.

There is a small country in Europe, Idris. It appeals to Aline somehow, and when she glances at Helen again, the blonde is staring at Alicante, the capital. It burns bright, the lines of white paint depicting some sort of towers.

“There,” Helen breathes out.

The carousel comes to a stop, and Aline nods sharply, afraid one of them will change her mind. They stand together, and hold hands to step off the carousel. Gehind them the lights dim as they walk into the night and disappear.


	5. Hot and spicy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet-cute, Helen tries mulled wine at the Christmas market, prompt: seasonal drink.

Cobblestone streets are hard to navigate, Helen muses as she stumbles her way through the Christmas market. She steps around a family that reminds her of her own, small children hanging onto their mother’s dress, and smiles at a little girl who looks up to Helen with a toothy grin and a sparkle in her eyes.

Christmas feels like magic in France. She loves the small wooden stands in the Christmas market, covered in red fabric as the vendors put food and knick-knacks on display. The carousel goes round and round off to the side, and the star shaped lights glow above her head in the quaint streets of a town that seems to come straight out of the middle-ages.

They sell seasonal drinks here, so she stops by the wooden cabin and babbles her way through the order in a mixture of French and English. Groups of friends surround barrel tables and when Helen turns around, holding her plastic cup carefully, she bumps into another woman.

Mulled wine spills all over the stranger’s mustard sweater, leaving a red stain. Helen looks up in horror and stares in the dark, slanted eyes of the other woman. She looks sharp, with leather gloves and the collar of her blouse poking out of the stained sweater.

“I’m so sorry,” Helen blurts out in a string of broken French and English expletives that this woman is sure to understand. 

“It’s fine,” she replies in such a perfect English accent that gets Helen to stop fussing over her breasts.

It’s probably for the best, the blonde muses as she stares at the other woman again. Helen shakes her head, at loss for words, and bites her lip in an attempt to come up with something, anything to apologize properly. She ruined this woman’s sweater, and probably her evening too.

“I’m really sorry. Let me buy you a drink to help you warm up at least.”

The city has yet to see the first snow, but it’s cold and the wind bites at their cheeks as Helen steps into the queue again to buy another drink. The vendor looks at her weirdly as Helen pays for two cups of mulled wine, and she hurries back to the other woman’s side, holding up the drink carefully for her to take.

“Thank you...” the stranger trails off, obviously waiting for some sort of introduction.

“Helen. I’m an exchange student.”

“Me too. My name is Aline.”

They trade smiles and take a sip of the hot, spicy wine. Aline makes a face and puts the cup back, but she doesn’t move away from the barrel table. Helen’s fingers tighten on her almost empty cup and she tries to hide the shaking of her hands.

“You don’t like it,” Helen closes her eyes in dismay, “I’ll pay for the dry cleaner.”

“It’s nothing the washing machine can’t fix,” Aline argues, “although if you give me your number, I’d love to get a drink with you.”

“Deal,” Helen nods eagerly.


	6. Good morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut, Aline and Helen enjoy a lazy morning together, prompt: vacation.

Aline stirs awake with the light coming from the window. It’s pale, reflecting the snow covered ground outside their cottage in Alicante. She brings the cotton sheets closer to her chin, curling up into the leftover warmth of the night. Next to her, Helen rolls over in her sleep and mumbles something about staying in bed. Aline had no intention of leaving, this is their time off duty and they moved to the cottage explicitly for the purpose of sleeping in and spending some much welcome time alone.

“Come on babe,” Helen sighs, draping an arm across Aline’s waist.

The blonde holds on, drawing lazy circles with her thumb on Aline’s hipbone and the gesture, soft and sweet and caring, gives birth to low embers in Aline’s belly. She reaches up to tangle her hand in Helen’s golden hair, smiling as the brief contact seems to fuel the half-faerie’s desire too.

“Good morning,” Helen whispers, throaty and pliant against Aline.

Aline brings her lover’s face up for a kiss, sleepy and slightly sloppy as they doze off for a bit longer. Helen presses a kiss to Aline’s cheek, and traces the shape of Aline’s jaw until she reaches Aline’s chin. There is a hint of the blonde’s teeth against Aline’s pointy chin, playful and inviting, before Helen dives lower to place open mouthed kisses down Aline’s throat.

“Good morning to you too,” Aline breathes out, tilting her head to the side.

Helen nuzzles Aline’s tank top with her nose, lips brushing over Aline’s nipple. The shadowhunter arches into the damp heat, the fabric of her shirt rubbing against her breasts as Helen kisses her way down. The blonde pushes the tank top out of the way to nip at Aline’s abdomen, and traces the shapes of Aline’s hips with her tongue before dragging Aline’s cotton pants down with eager hands. Helen slithers down the bed and Aline lets her legs fall open to better accommodate her lover.

She gasps when Helen’s breath fawns over her clit, and the blonde chuckles before kissing the inside of Aline’s thigh. Helen takes her time, alternating between Aline’s legs as she sucks a mark into Aline’s bronze skin, then nips at the other thigh. She runs her hands over Aline’s sides and scrapes her nails through the short, dark hair on Aline’s groin.

“Guess what I want for breakfast,” Helen teases.

Aline thrusts her hips up with a long, drawn out moan and finally, Helen graces her with a kiss. She laps at Aline’s folds, and sucks onto one between her lips before giving a slow lick, the flat of her tongue heavy on Aline’s clit. Helen doesn’t relent after that, pressing into Aline and breathing her in, moaning too at the taste of Aline’s musk. Aline grabs at the cotton sheets, breathing heavily as she wrings the fabric between her hands, undulating her hips to keep up with her lover’s tongue and fingers.

Aline comes apart, shaking, with Helen’s name on her lips.


	7. Christmas trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline and Helen decorate their Christmas tree, prompt: bells.

Wrangel Island is a lonely place, and it barely feels like Christmas when Helen puts up the last mistletoe in the limestone tower. She can’t miss an opportunity to kiss her fiancée, can she? 

The jingle of bells echoes in the main chamber as Aline comes in with tinsels and ornaments for their Christmas tree. Somehow, it’s warm inside, almost seething hot and Aline wonders about in knee high socks, her panties and a red sweater. She slides to a stop on the wooden floors, near the Christmas tree and Helen smiles to herself, taking the time to admire her fiancée’s muscular legs and the adorable mole on her right thigh.

“Stop staring and give me a hand will you,” Aline calls over her shoulder.

She doesn’t glance at Helen, so the blonde saunters closer to wrap her harms around Aline and press a kiss to her neck. The shadowhunter sighs, but leans in the embrace as she entangles a jingle bells garland. It chimes again.

“There you go, I’m your Christmas ornament,” Helen giggles, nuzzling Aline’s nose.

The brown-haired woman shakes her head and turns around in Helen’s arms, wrapping the jingle bells garland around Helen. The blonde watches her fiancée with interest as Aline steps back to adjust the garland around Helen’s waist, before coming up to roll it around Helen’s arms. It chimes with the blonde’s every move and restricts her movements, just slightly, so Helen can’t help teasing Aline.

“Should we go up to our bedroom and take care of the Christmas tree later?” she offers, wiggling her eyebrows.

“You wish. I think I’ll just let you watch while I put these up,” Aline smirks.

She pecks Helen on the lips then turns around, glancing over her shoulder and winking, before bending to pick up a set of white and gold ornaments. Helen’s mouth waters at the sight and she whines a little as Aline moves about, adding an ornament here and there. 

The jingle bell garland chimes as Helen squirms but Aline ignores her. She fiddles with some ornaments, and takes others off to put them elsewhere under Helen’s watchful gaze. Eventually, Aline wraps a silver garland around the Christmas tree with a noise of contentment. She puts the finishing touch, a star on top of the tree, and faces Helen again.

“What do you think?”

“You look good,” Helen breathes out, and the bells jingle as she takes a step forward.

“Not even a compliment for my hard work?” Aline pouts, “I guess we’re not rolling in bed any time soon.”

“Good job babe,” Helen hurries to say, grinning, “it’s very classy.”

“Thank you,” Aline nods and gives her a smile.

She steps up to Helen again, wrapping her arms around the blonde’s shoulders. The bells jingle and the half-faerie bites her lower lip, staying still. She waits for Aline to make the first move, determined to behave, and is rewarded with a kiss and a chuckle.

“You’d make a good Christmas tree too.”


	8. Secret giftee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen gets the perfect opportunity to impress Aline with a secret Santa, prompt: presents.

Helen admires Aline across the auditorium. The other girl pushes short brown hair behind her ears as she looks at the piece of paper in her hands, and frowns a little. Maybe she doesn’t know this person well, or she doesn’t know them. Helen hopes it’s not her name. 

This is their master’s degree in library science’s secret Santa, and Helen was lucky enough to get Aline as her secret giftee.

She glances at the neatly folded paper between her hands and remembers Aline’s sharp handwriting. Helen can’t wait to go shopping for Aline’s gift, and she has no intention of respecting the allotted budget. The organizers won’t ever know, and Aline is Helen’s long time crush, Helen can’t miss out on this opportunity to get the other girl to finally notice her.

It’s not for lack of trying, but no matter how often Helen makes eye contact across the auditorium, greets Aline in the corridors and tries to make small talk, the brown haired girl just looks at Helen like she’s a far away star Aline could never reach. Helen would gladly replay the big bang with Aline, but the message seems to get lost in translation every time they talk.

Not this time, she decides, but shopping for Aline’s gift turns out to be more stress-inducing that she imagined it would be. Helen can’t help but second-guessing herself as she picks cute items one after the other. The mugs are too basic, and the socks feel impersonal. She wants Aline to feel cared for, to think that Helen gets her (and Helen definitely hopes she understands Aline at least a little).

In the end, she settles for a cute gift that might not tick these boxes. She doesn’t know Aline all that well anyway, since Helen never got the chance to grow closer to her crush. She takes the small package with her on the last day of class before Christmas, and waits until Aline is done talking to her own giftee (Aline got him a book, Helen notes with a smile).

“Hey, Aline,” she greets when she finally comes up to the brown haired girl.

“Hi,” Aline ducks her head, blushing.

“Here you go, I hope you like it.”

Helen relinquishes the colorful package and watches as Aline removes the gift wrapper carefully, revealing a set of flower like candles. There is a cactus, a water lily and a rose, delicate wax carvings inside small glass vases. Terrarium candles seemed like a thoughtful gift to Helen, as they make for nice decoration if Aline doesn’t like candles.

“Oh, I love it,” Aline gushes, beaming.

“I really like you,” Helen blurts out without thinking, “I thought I would take you on a date too, if you’re interested.”

She shoves her hands in the pockets of her jeans, suddenly self-conscious, and Aline stares at her, speechless for the longest time, before nodding frantically. Helen smiles then, and Aline smiles too, and they might look silly, but Helen doesn’t care.


	9. One too many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mother Santa and Mother Satan argue over Christmas gifts, prompt: nice/naughty list.

Helen slides down the chimney with a cackle, her black dress flaring around her. She lands among charcoal in a crouch and looks around. The blonde takes in the lights twinkling in the Christmas tree and the presents piled up in front of it. To her surprise, there is one too many.

“Don’t even think about it,” a familiar voice calls out.

Mother Santa steps out of the shadows, holding onto her Christmas sack, and Helen peers at her from the chimney, toying with a black lump of coal. This child misbehaved a lot at school, they’re on the naughty list. Aline shouldn’t give them a present and they both know it.

“I wish you’d wear something else than that ratty red coat and pants too big for you.”

Helen flicks the lump of coal as she speaks, and Aline frowns, offended. It’s true though, Mother Santa wrapped her belt around her waist twice to keep the pants up, and she can barely stuff the hem into her leather boots. 

Helen has long forgone Mother Satan’s traditional rags for a reason. Aline always checks her out when they meet for Christmas. She grins at the thought and rolls the lump of coal in her hand, eyeing the gift under the tree.

“They’re bullied,” Aline says, ignoring her. “at school. That’s why they misbehave.”

Mother Satan blinks. That is unexpected, and she glances at the lump of coal with a pout. Helen can’t punish a child that hasn’t done anything wrong, can she? Aline watches her intently, still holding onto her Christmas sack.

“Fine,” the blonde eventually sighs.

Aline beams and lets go of her Christmas sack to cross the room in a few strides. She leans in, cupping Helen’s face with too cold hands, and kisses Helen squarely on the lips. It’s brief, a zephyr from the north that tastes like peppermint and leaves Helen longing for more.

“What was that for?” she asks, peering at Aline.

“I’m glad you’re not punishing them.”

Mother Santa takes a step back, hoisting her Christmas sack on her shoulder. The blonde enjoys the sight of that lean body, and the blush spreads on Aline’s face, almost as red as her coat. She’s smiling even as she avoids Helen’s gaze, and Mother Satan straightens up.

“That’s my gift this year isn’t it?” Helen perks up with the realization.

“It’s not like you asked for anything else,” Aline bites her lower lip, “and you’ve been really nice.”

“So were you. What do you want for Christmas, dear Mother Santa?”

Helen takes a step forward, moving on the tip of her pointed shoes. She plays with the lump of coal in her hand, waiting for Aline to give in. Mother Santa doesn’t disappoint, tugging at the hem of her red coat as she admits.

“I’d like a kiss too.”

Mother Satan walks up to her with a grin, sliding a hand at the back of Aline’s neck to drag her down and into a victorious kiss.


	10. Cup of tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen has a plan to ask her favorite customer out, prompt: cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a fill for this prompt from dailyau.tumblr:
>
>> “I work as a barista in a coffee shop you frequent and I tried to make a leaf design on your coffee but it ended being a dick instead” AU
>> 
>> \- (@radiosingurname)

Helen beams when her favorite customer enters the coffee shop. Aline is the cutest (who cares that Helen is biased), she always takes the time for small talk when ordering her latte and Helen has every intention to get the girl’s number this time.

Her plan is simple: she’s been practicing latte art all weekend, Helen will make a heart design on Aline’s order. She’s already scribbled her number on the cup, everything is ready and when Aline saunters across the wooden floors of the coffee shop, Helen’s smile widens.

Dark strands of hair fall in Aline’s eyes and she pushes them back, fairy lights twinkling behind her. She’s wearing an ugly Christmas sweater and Helen really wants to boop Rudolf’s red nose. Helen would have to lean over the counter to reach the reindeer’s nose is on Aline’s stomach though, and this might look like sexual assault if she does it now. Maybe later.

“Good morning,” she greets instead. “The usual?”

“Hi Helen, yes please.”

Aline grins and leans against the counter, watching her. Helen’s hands shake a little as she picks the special cup she saved for Aline to make the latte, and her tongue pokes between her lips as she focuses on the heart design. It’s looking good, Helen decides once the jug of milk is empty, and she turns around carefully to place the cup on the counter. 

To Helen’s horror, the movement jostles the design, and upside down it looks like a dick.

Helen is mortified. She can feel her face burning, undoubtedly turning an alarming shade of red and she cannot bring herself to glance at Aline. She could probably laugh it off, but Helen is too embarrassed to gather what’s left of her dignity, so she stares at the wooden counter instead.

“Not really my cup of tea,” Aline chuckles.

“It’s a latte,” Helen mumbles without thinking, “I’m so sorry, let me give you a cookie.”

She grabs said cookie and peers at Aline as she slides it across the counter, but the other girl is smiling. Suddenly the meaning of her comment registers in Helen’s brain. She gasps, staring at her crush, and behind Aline the fairy lights twinkle on.

“Wait, are you… would you like to go on a date with me?” Helen blurts out before she can chicken out.

“I’d love to,” Aline replies, smiling softly.

“My number is on your cup then,” Helen adds, giggling, “sorry about the latte art, again. I’ve been practicing all weekend, but I didn’t think this through.”

“It’s fine,” Aline makes to push the cookie back, but Helen shakes her head.

“On the house,” she winks.

Aline pays for her order and hugs her coffee cup to her chest, above Rudolf’s nose. She peers at the number written on the cup and Helen gives her one last smile as Aline grabs the cookie with her other hand, gesturing some sort of toast in thanks.

“See you soon,” Helen whispers, and Aline beams in reply.


	11. Getting comfy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline agreed to watch a horror movie with Helen, but she has a hidden agenda, prompt: cuddles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Spark for beta-reading this ficlet ♥

The screen flashes with a splatter of blood and Aline jerks, hiding her face in the crook of Helen’s neck. She slides down the couch as she does so, and breathes in a mouthful of Helen’s flowery perfume. The other girl’s hair brushes against Aline’s face, the blond curls soft and Aline sighs. 

This is all she’s ever wanted, cuddling with her crush. If she has to power through a horror movie in order to do so, she will. She tucks her head into Helen’s neck with that in mind, and smiles when the blonde’s arm comes up around her shoulders, the embrace tight and comforting.

“You alright? We can stop watching if you want,” Helen whispers.

On screen, a woman runs away from the monstrous serial killer. Aline doesn’t want to see the end of this movie, but she fears Helen will let go of her if they stop watching. She brings her knees to her chest, curling up against Helen instead, and shakes her head gently.

“I’m fine.”

Helen smells of poppies and the earth after the rain, and Aline can’t help but trying her luck. She brushes her lips against the other girl’s neck, and when Helen doesn’t move, presses a kiss to her throat. The blonde shivers, and lowers her arm to hold onto Aline’s waist instead.

None of them mention it, and Aline suffers through another murder before she makes another move. She has dreamed of this moment for months now, and she knows exactly what she’ll do next. Aline turns to press her body fully against Helen’s side and throws her arm around the blonde.

“Getting comfy?” Helen chuckles.

Aline nods, and nestles her cheek against Helen’s collarbone. The other girl’s shirt is soft, and the neckline low, rising and falling with Helen’s steady breath. Aline can’t stop staring and she shakes herself out of it, her forehead bumping against Helen’s chin as she does so.

“Ouch!”

“Oh! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” she straightens, looking Helen over.

“I’m fine,” Helen replies, rubbing her chin, “did you get scared again?”

“Hm...” Aline bites her lip, “yeah.”

“Okay, that’s it. We’re not watching this till the end.”

Helen snatches the remote before Aline can say anything and turns the TV off. The sudden darkness surprises both of them, and something echoes outside. Aline tenses, and tries to rationalize. It’s nothing, just the wind, but as it cracks again, louder, it’s Helen who loses it.

She jumps in Aline’s arms with a frightened cry.

Aline wraps her arms around the other girl and a car drives by, revealing the branch of a nearby tree snapping against the neighbor’s house. Helen lets out a sigh of relief, and Aline reaches blindly to turn on the light on the side table. The living room immediately looks much more inviting.

“I guess you’re not the only one on edge,” Helen mutters.

“We can cuddle if you get scared,” Aline replies boldly.

“Yeah?” Helen breathes out.

“Yeah,” Aline nods.


	12. Laundry day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen steals her girlfriend's sweater, prompt: ugly sweater.

It’s laundry day. Helen looks around the extra-tidy flat, dejected. Aline put everything in the washing machine early this morning before leaving for her classes and Helen has nothing to wear. She found leggings at least, but the neighbors are perverts and Helen doesn’t fancy moving around the flat without a shirt. 

It’s also cold because they’re broke and trying to save money, so they turn the heaters down as much as they can. Aline usually keeps Helen warm at night and during the day when she’s here, but this morning Helen is alone.

She wanders around the flat, and grins at the sight of one of Aline’s ugly sweaters forgotten on the side of their old, beaten couch. Helen swoops on it with a whoop, sliding the green jumper on. The pattern of small, lighter green reindeer and Christmas trees diverts attention from white women sticks holding hands, and the text spells out in capital letters on the front.

“Merry Christmas from the lesbian aunt everybody talks about,” Helen chuckles.

She cracks up every time Aline’s wears it, and the sweater is extremely comfortable. It’s the perfect combo with the leggings, and she curls up on the couch, holding a cup of tea and one of the books for her classes. She mumbles Christmas carols under her breath as the turns the pages, sipping her drink.

“Honey, I’m home,” Aline calls out a few hours later.

The blonde peers at her girlfriend, smiling because Aline is wearing Helen’s ugly sweater. It’s light red with green Christmas trees and some more geometrical patterns on the sleeves, only three words written on the front of the sweater. Helen bought it without question when she saw it.

“Santa’s favorite HO,” she reads, grinning.

“Depends, did you take the clothes out of the washing machine and put them in the dryer?”

Aline arches an inquisitive eyebrow and Helen rises her book defensively in front of her. She’s glad the cup of tea was safely put away on the coffee table some time earlier, because Aline jumps on her with a playful growl and tickles Helen until the blonde begs for mercy.

“I’m sorry! I’m such a bad girlfriend, I’m sorry!” Helen screeches, giggling.

“You better make lunch AND wash the dishes,” Aline threatens.

Helen blinks up at her, trying to look innocent, and sits up to peck her girlfriend on the nose. She’ll do everything Aline says, and grins as they exchange sweet kisses. Helen puts the book away and lies back when Aline straddles her, fingers trailing along the leggings and underneath the ugly sweater.

The blond grins, biting her lower lip and tugging a little on Aline’s brown hair, when something catches her eyes through the window. Helen tilts her head, eyes narrowed, and peers past Aline. The other girl, sensing that something is going on, glances over her shoulder too. 

As expected, they find their neighbors staring.

Aline sighs deeply, and Helen lets her head fall back against the couch.


	13. Who cares about needles?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The friendly coffee shop vs flower shop rivalry over Christmas decorations no one asked for, prompt: decorating.

On the first day of December, the cute flower shop owner across the street puts a Christmas tree on the sidewalk and spends all morning decorating it. The tree looks pretty, with pastel pink and blue ornaments, and a silver garland that shines in the winter light.

Aline watches wistfully, and decides that she’ll go and buy her own Christmas tree for the coffee shop. Who cares about the needles? Aline really wants a reason to talk to Helen, and so she goes.

“Hey!”

“Hi,” Helen replies, grinning.

“I’m going to decorate my coffee shop too,” Aline states as she makes her choice.

Helen nods, blond locks of hair and a serious look falling over her pretty face. Aline pays for her Christmas tree and Helen sends her brothers across the street to help Aline set up. 

The next day, Helen places a wooden reindeer next to the Christmas tree on the sidewalk. All day, people order take away seasonal drinks from Aline’s coffee shop. She watches them as they cross the street in order to take a closer look at the decorations in front of the flower shop.

Aline decides that she needs to impress Helen, then. She spends all night making reindeer from empty rolls of toilet paper, and lines them up on the counter. 

Then, she draws the head of a reindeer, poking from the front window of her shop, just the red nose, eyes and antlers visible. She arranges her fairy lights in the coffee shop so that he looks like it’s tangled in with antlers for the outside, too. 

It’s extremely cute, so she adds the outline of Santa Claus on the side of the door, red hat and white beard, with one hand seemingly waving people in.

She spies Helen glancing at the front window a few times during the day, and the patrons coo every time they walk in. Maybe Aline made an impression on Helen, she muses as she sweeps the floor. She startles when the doorbell rings after closing time, looking up.

“Helen,” she breathes out in delight.

“I saw you were still here when I was about to leave, I hope it’s not too much work,” the blonde gestures around them.

“Oh no, I love Christmas,” Aline waves her concern away.

She sweeps the floor with more strength than necessary, even though the wooden floors of the coffee shop are mostly clean now, because having something to do helps her stay calm.

“The decoration is very pretty,” Helen adds.

“Thank you! You inspired me.”

Aline’s eyes widens as she realizes what she just said, but she decides to own it and beams at Helen. The florist smiles back and shuffles closer, fiddling with the bronze garland among the yellow and orange ornaments on the Christmas tree.

“Do you want to go for a drink once you’re done here?” Helen asks suddenly.

“Yes!” Aline blurts out, eager. She has a date, her ploy is a success!

“Cool,” Helen replies shyly, smiling.


	14. Make good use of it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen said she wants kinky presents for Christmas, prompt: toys.

“Which one should we get?”

Aline glances at Helen over her shoulder, but the blonde won’t look at her. They’re lounging on the bed, and Helen is hogging all the blankets as usual, but she hides behind rivulets of golden hair. She looks beautiful in the soft light coming through the window, surrounded in soft gray sheets and the black and green comforter with leopards printed between the bright tropical leaves of the pattern.

This won’t do. Aline, sitting a bit closer to the foot of the bed with her legs tucked underneath her, reaches behind herself to poke at her girlfriend’s calf. Helen scrambles away to get her legs out of reach before Aline starts to tickle the sensitive skin on the inside of her knees.

“Do we really have to do this?” Helen whines.

“Well, you said you wanted kinky gifts for Christmas,” Aline points out.

Helen hugs her legs to her chest, disappearing in her blanket fort. She piles up the pillows behind herself, curling up against them and Aline chuckles at the endearing sight. She abandons the computer to crawl up to her girlfriend, and sits cross-legged next to Helen. Aline leans her elbows on the blonde’s knees, and puts on her best puppy eyes.

“I didn’t think you’d browse through sex shops online!” Helen protests.

“Do you want to go to the local sex shop then? Magnus works there. He’ll tell Alec, and Alec will tell Izzy, who will tell your brother...”

The blonde buries herself deeper under the blanket, her cheeks a lovely shade of red. Aline pries the comforter out of her girlfriend’s hands, pushing it aside to slide a finger beneath Helen’s chin and tilt her face up to kiss the blush away. She can’t wipe the smile off her face even as Helen grumbles.

“I’d feel better if I’m sure you’re at least curious about the one I order,” Aline eventually says. “I can’t just choose something if I don’t know what you’re interested in trying.”

“They’re so expensive, I feel guilty for even thinking of buying one.”

“It’s Christmas, we’re allowed to have some fun and I’m sure we’ll make good use of it.”

Helen giggles at the obvious wink Aline uses to reinforce her argument, and relents. The blonde peers at the screen, but doesn’t make a move to scroll herself or look at any of the toys on the page. She crawls towards the computer, at least, keeping most of the blankets to herself and fiddling with them in her lap instead. 

Aline doesn’t comment, wrapping her arms around Helen and plastering herself to her girlfriend’s back to look over her shoulder. She clicks on a few toys she thinks Helen might enjoy, and comments here and there until Helen feels comfortable enough to express interest in some of them.

“I think the wand would be fun,” the blonde mutters at some point.

“Yeah? Me too,” Aline breathes out, and orders the toy before Helen changes her mind.


	15. Choirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen hates her neighbor. By December 6, it’s a full on war in the corridor, prompt: caroling.

Helen hates her neighbor. She has never been lucky when it comes to the girls and boys next door. They come home at ungodly hours, bump into walls and giggle. They stay up until late on the nights they don’t go out, and play loud music when she’s trying to sleep.

Therefore, Helen gets her revenge during the Christmas season.

Helen loves caroling. She has an infinite repertoire of songs, and she knows them by heart. She sings all day long, sometimes along the instrumental, sometimes at the top of her lungs in the shower. The thing is, Helen is a professional soprano.

Of course her neighbor, who never heads her warnings, complains.

She belts Jingle Bells like it’s the last thing she’ll do. By December 6, it’s a full on war in the corridor. Someone has ripped away the Christmas decorations, as though time would go by faster if there wasn’t any reminder that this is the end of the year.

Someone knocks on her door one evening, and Helen readies herself for a fight.

She adjusts her black dress, pulls her blond hair up into a low, classy bun and grabs a bottle of wine. Helen will either toast to a much welcome truce, or break the bottle on the back of their head. Then, she plasters a smile to her face and opens her door.

Helen finds herself speechless, and it doesn’t happen often.

What else could she be though, at the sight of a young woman with short black hair and an endearing tinge of brown in her taupe complexion. The stranger smiles shyly at Helen and holds out a bag, in which Helen finds gingerbread.

“I heard you singing, you’re very talented. I own the bakery downstairs and I hoped you’d be interested in joining us one afternoon. I host events for young children and we’d love to get them in some sort of choir for Christmas.”

“Oh,” is the only thing Helen can say.

“Would you be interested?” the stranger says at least, beaming.

“S-sure.”

Helen never thought she’d lose her voice over another woman. She stares, dumbfounded, as the stranger adjusts the collar of her button up shirt, poking out of her orange sweater. She’s wearing jeans underneath and brown, comfortable looking boots.

“I’m Aline, by the way.”

“Helen,” the blonde replies breathlessly, looking up to meet Aline’s eyes and making a rash decision, “I was going to drink this by myself, would you like to join me and tell me more about this choir?”

Aline bites her lower lip, glancing at Helen’s naked thighs where the hem of the dress falls, and her pink painted toe nails. The blonde rubs the side of her left foot against her right ankle, and grins encouragingly. She jingles the bag of gingerbread next.

“I have gingerbread too!”

It’s a win. Aline laughs and follows her inside. That night, Helen doesn’t sleep much, and neither does her neighbor, she muses with her head between Aline’s thighs.


	16. Join the party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen's boss organized a ski trip and Helen is invited to this disaster in the making, prompt: party.

Helen shakes snow off her knee-high boots as she walks up to the door. The cabin her boss rented for the end of the year ski trip is covered in snow, and fairy lights twinkle over the entrance. Finally, she tugs her light pink beanie further down her face, blond hair curling on either side of her chin.

She checks her appearance one last time, and on a last minute whim, tucks her jumper inside her jeans. Then, she knocks on the wooden door, just beneath the Christmas wreath, before dusting off snowflakes from her watermelon pink jumper.

The door opens with a creak and Helen smiles at the woman on the other side. Aline is the cutest of the bunch, with her dark hair up in a bun, glitter around her slanted eyes and an over-sized knitted dress. Helen came to the party for Aline. She hopes they can get stuck under the mistletoe, or at least get cozy next to the fireplace, sharing a glass of hot, spicy one.

Snow slides down the roof.

Helen is covered in snow, her face frozen into an expression of shock and horror. She shivers as she tries to speak, and Aline stares right back at her with her hands over her own mouth. 

The dark haired woman hurries to help Helen out of the powdery snow. 

She pushes snow off Helen’s arms and shoulders, and brushes her hands through the blonde’s hair to shake snow off the curling strands too. Then, she drags Helen inside, and tries to undo the button of Helen’s jeans.

“Wh-what are y-you d-doing?” Helen stammers.

“You need to get out of this and put on something warmer,” Aline replies.

She helps Helen take her sweater off, and Helen stands in the entry way in just her black bra, shivering. It’s warm and well-lit inside, with red and green decorations on the wooden walls. The cabin is welcoming, but Helen is freezing and she regrets driving all the way up the mountain for this disaster.

The blonde wraps her arms around herself, watching as Aline reaches blindly for the coat rack. The dark haired woman grabs a knitted shawl and wraps Helen in it just on time: Simon, one of their coworkers, pokes his head in the hallway. He pushes his glasses up his nose, grinning.

“There you are! Come, join the party!”

He disappears further inside and Helen fiddles with the shawl. The fabric is soft, a nice shade of white and blue. Aline stares at Helen like she’s about to leave right out the door, and if she’s honest the blonde would have been long gone if it wasn’t for Aline.

“Are you okay?” Aline whispers.

“I’ll survive,” Helen shrugs, rubbing her shoulders to warm up.

Aline steps forward when Helen blinks, and wraps the blonde in a hug. It’s unexpected, but nice and comforting and Helen relaxes into the embrace, hoping once again that this, is the day she gets to know Aline better.


	17. Duty calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline, under the code name Wolf, likes to mess with an oblivious vigilante, prompt: costume.

Wolf is at it again. Helen rolls her eyes, and brushes the white and amber feathers of her mask as she adjusts it over her face. They’re damp from the rain and this is definitely starting off as a bad night.

They’re both vigilantes, they should be working together or at least, not get in each other’s way, but Wolf keeps jumping in when Owl — Helen — is about to put an end to some thugs’ attempt at breaking into a bank. They had no chance of getting in anyway, hence the delay in Owl’s interruption. The display of incompetency was quite entertaining, and she didn’t want to stand in the rain for any longer than necessary.

Owl jumps off the roof, her cape flaring behind her like wings, and she falls swiftly on the wet pavement. She skirts around a street lamp and cuts off the thugs’ escape, glaring at Wolf as she does so. They make a quick work of subduing the wannabe criminals, tying them up to the lamp post and disappear just as the police rounds the corner to take the thugs in custody.

Wolf weaves around the street lights and into a dark alley, the spandex of her suit hugging her petite silhouette. Helen follows with a sigh, scolding herself for checking the other woman out. The pavement shines in places, and Wolf peers at Helen over her shoulder, dark strands of hair falling over her own porcelain mask. It’s an eerie sight, one from which Helen has yet to unveil all the mysteries.

The white mask is mostly bare, except for deep red lips in the shape of a heart. The nose is slim and pointed, giving way to sharp indentations over the eyebrows and a small forehead. She looks wolfish in the dim light.

Helen swallows, struggling to find her voice, “Aren’t we on the same side?”

“There is quite a bit of space between us,” Wolf points out.

Owl can hear the smile in the other woman’s voice and steps closer before she can overthink it. Wolf watches her intently, but doesn’t move away and soon enough they’re chest to chest, breathing in as the sky cries. A police car wails in the distance and they shudder in the cold. Duty calls.

“Well, shall we get going?” Wolf suggests, and her voice drops low, sounding like a smirk.

Helen really wants to kiss that smirk off Wolf’s mouth, but the mask is in the way. It’s a pretty mouth on the porcelain too, rain like tears down her cheeks and since none of them has moved… Helen leans in and presses her lips against the heart-shaped lipstick on the mask’s mouth.

Wolf gasps, and Helen smiles. This didn’t sound like a smile, she muses as she steps back. Wolf makes to follow her, hands hovering on either side of Owl’s waist, under her cape, but Helen moves away.

“I guess you’ll have to be by my side now, huh?” the blonde taunts, grinning.


	18. Danseuse étoile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ballerina is called a "star dancer" in French, prompt: stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Credits:_  
>  Ballerina: Snow Tutu Stock 4 by chamberstock on Deviantart  
> Acrobat: @mluotio83 on Unsplash.


	19. Playing house

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even shadowhunter children play house, prompt: snowman.

Even shadowhunter children play house. 

Helen and Aline like playing in the backyard of the Penhallows’ cottage in Idris, when their parents stay holed up in The Guard all day and their nursemaids turn a blind eye on the little girls’ escapade outside. They wrapped the girls in scarves and winter coats, with matching beanies and gloves. It’s snowing, soft snowflakes dancing in the backyard and the girls move about with smiles on their faces, busy.

“We need carrots!” Helen exclaims, her nose red from the cold.

There is snow everywhere, with their footprints all over the backyard, and mud packing up where the snow has melted. The stone steps leading to the door are slippery and Aline almost falls over as she runs inside, spreading snow and mud all over the carpet, but she manages to stay on her feet and find her balance soon enough to rush in, and then back out of the cottage. 

She carries the carrots for their snowmen, but as she skids through the doorway, she slips once more, and falls on her behind. She stands up again, rubbing at her backside with mud covered hands, and Helen giggles, sauntering up to the dark haired girl. She picks up the carrots Aline dropped when she fell.

“I’ll kiss it better!” Helen offers, and leans in to peck Aline on the cheek.

Aline blushes and turns around quickly, pushing a carrot in her snowman’s face to make up for a nose. Still with her back to Helen, she presses a hand to her cheek, her eyes shining, and leaves a careless smear of mud along her cheekbone as she clenches her hand around another carrot. 

Finally calming down enough to face the blonde, Aline turns away from the snow covered forest in the distance and reaches on her tiptoes for Helen’s snowman. It’s taller than them, so Aline slides the carrot in her pocket to make smaller snowballs. She scrambles on top of one of them and rams the carrot in the tallest snowman’s face.

“We need hay from the stables,” Aline directs Helen, her previous embarrassment forgotten.

She climbs down and resumes working on the smaller snowballs to make children to their family of snowmen. Helen hurries towards the haystacks, and the Penhallows’ horses snort in greeting as the blonde girl comes back running. She stacks the hay on top of the taller snowman’s head to make up for hair, then adds some onto the second snowman.

“They’re girls!” Helen giggles.

She unwraps her scarf from around her neck and tucks it around one of the snow-women’s children instead. Then, she pokes at Aline’s beanie, and the dark haired girl relinquishes it for the second child. They stick pebbles to the snowballs to make eyes, and finally step back to admire their hard work. The four snowmen stand in the middle of the backyard with pride.

“I want a family like this, one day,” Aline tells her with a determined nod, and Helen smiles.


	20. Shooting star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen _loves_ to watch her girlfriend train, prompt: ice skating.

Aline skids across the ice like a shooting star in the sky. Gentle music plays in the ice rink, a foreign song with dreamy undertones and a languorous female voice. Helen watches her girlfriend from the bleachers, the ice skater wears a lilac velvet dress, snug around her slim waist and muscular frame. The blonde cannot wait for Aline to get off the ice, and down to steamy business instead. She’s not sure they’ll make it to the changing room with Aline looking so edible already.

The ice skater twirls and bows gracefully at the end of her routine, and Helen saunters down the bleachers to meet her girlfriend on the ice. She hands a water bottle to Aline, who takes a sip and tosses the bottle onto a nearby seat. Helen grins when the brown haired woman wipes off sweat before leaning in for a kiss. It’s a sweet greeting, just the brush of their lips and Aline sliding closer, but Helen is electrified already.

“Thanks for waiting,” Aline whispers.

“You know I love to watch you skate.”

Helen grabs the ice skater’s waist and brings Aline flush against her. They chuckle at the sudden proximity, and Helen’s hands slide down the soft material of Aline’s dress to cup her ass-cheeks. With her hair in a bun, Aline looks every bit the Olympian champion she is. Helen loves to see her come undone though, so she steals a kiss, and trails her lips down Aline’s throat to grace the ice skater with loving nips until Aline is shivering.

“It’s not fair, you’re wearing that enormous sweater,” Aline protests, tugging at the green sweater.

Helen swats the grabby hands away and doesn’t remove the knitted sweater. It’s too cold for that. Instead, she steps forward to resume kissing. Her foot slips on the ice however, and Helen flails her arms, but to no avail. She loses her balance and falls on her back, the wind knocked out of her lungs. A painful whine escapes her too, and she peers at Aline through her eyelashes as the ice skater falls to her knees.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Helen huffs, and makes no move to stand up.

Aline stops worrying her lower lip between her teeth and leans it to kiss the blonde’s forehead. Helen is freezing, spread out on the ice like she is, but the view is stunning. The valley of Aline’s breast is a beautiful shade of bronze, and Helen’s previous kisses left rose petals-like marks on Aline’s throat.

The ice skater notices Helen staring and steals another kiss, intertwining their fingers together to press the back of Helen’s hand against the ice. The sharp bite of the cold floor sends shivers down the blonde’s spine and she arches against her girlfriend. Aline breaks away from the kiss to glance around warily, and Helen knows they’ll have to get up soon, but Aline graces her with one last kiss, the slide of their lips slow and dirty, a promise.


	21. First kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline likes to flirt when she's fighting demons, prompt: park.

The chirping of crickets echoes in the empty park as Helen climbs up the fence. Aline smiles as she looks at her girlfriend’s behind, clad in tight leather. Helen has gained weight recently, and she fills her pants beautifully. Aline especially loves the curves of her hips and belly, although Helen, self-conscious, has stopped wearing crop tops so the sight is a rare treat.

Aline climbs after her girlfriend a moment later and jumps down in the pitch black park, almost bumping into the blonde when Helen stops abruptly. Aline drops one hand to her seraph blade and brushes the other against Helen’s backside, surveying the area. 

When nothing moves, Aline draws her stele to activate her night vision rune, and takes a second look. The grass looks greener now, and high in the sky, the moon watches over them. Helen’s hair glows silver in the moonlight, and Aline squeezes her girlfriend’s behind once before turning around.

There are scratches mark on the nearest trunk.

It’s large, and whatever thing did it tore the bark apart like it was nothing. No animal would have done that, Aline muses as she steps closer to Helen, pressing their backs together. It’s a demon, and the very reason they patrol in this park. Aline activates more fighting runes, and she can feel Helen doing the same behind her.

“We have a demon to kill,” Aline comments, already breathless.

“Do we?” Helen replies, lingering sarcastically on the vowels.

“First kill,” Aline goes on as though she wasn’t interrupted. “First one to come tonight!”

Just then, she notices a movement to her right and pounces on the demon, Helen following closely behind her. They corner the demon in swift steps and swipes of their seraph blades. The demon recoils from the glow of adamas blades, and Helen leaps forward in an attempt to kill it.

It swings large, too sharp claws at her and Aline’s breath catches in her throat as Helen ducks just on time. The brown haired shadowhunter hurries to her girlfriend’s side and together, they force the demon back. It makes to charge them, so Helen and Aline move in tandem, crossing their blades to stop it dead in its tracks.

“Should I make the scissoring joke now?” Aline can’t help but tease.

The blonde shadowhunter flicks her blade and kills the demon in one smooth move. Helen cleans her seraph blade in the grass and sheathes it again, turning to face Aline. She raises an expectant eyebrow, propping on hand on her waist, and cocks her hip out. Slightly pointed ears poke out of her blond curls, and the moon frames her figure like an ancient statue.

“You were saying?” 

Aline ogles her girlfriend, from her thigh holster to the gorgeous slope of her breasts, and the curves of Helen’s hips. She licks her lips, eager to get started, and winks at Helen. Aline is happy to honor her part of the deal, there is no loosing with bets like these.


	22. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline's building is on fire, prompt: fire.
> 
>  **Trigger warning:** Aline is rescued on time, but this ficlet is angsty as she fears for her life, and faces the consequences of her building burning down. Be safe ♥

Aline wakes up coughing, brown strands of hair stuck to her forehead. A siren is blaring outside, unpleasant as it echoes between the apartment complexes. Aline sits up in bed, coughing still, and presses the palm of her hand to her chest in an attempt to calm down.

It’s extremely hot in her bedroom, and when she blinks, she can see fiery red lights under her door. 

She jumps out of her bed with a cry, and suddenly, she recognizes the acrid smell of smoke and fire. The walls around her creak and she backs off from the door, grabbing the nearest jacket. Her pajamas pants will have to do, the brown haired woman thinks as she fumbles to open her window.

Outside, the firetruck is surrounded with curious bystanders, red like a splash of blood on the pavement. People start screaming when they notice her, pointing at the window. Aline is one of the highest apartments, and her head spins as she looks down. 

She’s trapped.

The firefighters are quick to raise the ladder and Aline allows herself to breath some of the fresh night air outside. She watches as someone starts climbing, and her heart beats faster as they take slow steps up. Aline flinches when she hears the door crack behind her, and she cowers when it explodes, sharp splinters of wood flying in the bedroom.

“It’s okay, you’re safe, I got you now.”

Aline looks up to find the firefighter on the edge of the window. She throws herself at them with a cry of relief and lets the firefighter flip her over their shoulder. Aline grabs at the thick material of their jacket, sobbing as they carry her down.

They reach the ground a moment later and Aline is ushered towards a medic. She watches as the firefighter try to stop the fire. Most of the inhabitants seem to be safe, but Aline can’t stop her hiccups as her entire life goes up in flames. 

It’s cold outside, away from the heat of the fire and she shivers, wrapping her jacket tighter around herself. She’s three years into her degree in education to become a teacher, and her parents are on the other side of the world.

Aline startles when the firefighter that rescued her comes near, shaken out of her sullen thoughts. They stop to take off their silver helmet with a shake of their head, revealing pale blonde hair and blue-green eyes.

“Wow,” Aline gasps, staring at the firefighter, whose name tag spells Helen Blackthorn. 

It’s hard to believe this woman carried Aline down the ladder, yet she did, saving Aline’s life in the process. Helen smiles, crouching in front of Aline, and takes the brown haired woman’s hands between her own.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

Maybe later, when Aline has left everything behind, she can ask Helen on a date and get to know the firefighter better. For now, she takes deep breaths and holds onto Helen’s hands, grateful.


	23. Making it official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen and Aline are engaged, prompt: shopping.

The doorbell jingles, cheerful and lively, when Aline and Helen step into the armory. It’s a small shop, tucked away in a dead-end, around the corner of Alicante’s cobble-stone streets. Helen smiles as much welcome warmth engulfs her and steps across the wooden floors, heading towards one specific shelf.

“Engagement daggers? Are you girls making it official then?” the shop keeper gushes.

Helen peers at the man over her shoulder, and her eyes crinkle with a smile when she catches sight of Aline’s blush. The shop keeper grins too, his hair up in a bun and a thick beard covering his chin and mouth. The blonde pushes a curling strand of hair behind her slightly pointed ear and reaches out to wrap her arm around Aline’s waist, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s temple.

“Finally,” Helen replies.

“I want to call her my fiancée,” Aline adds.

A shiver runs down the blonde’s spine at the word. Fiancée, and then wife. It’s everything they’ve ever wanted, and now that the world is a peace again, they can do things properly. They made the trip to Idris especially for this armory. She kisses Aline’s brown hair one more time before turning towards the glass case to look at the daggers on display.

“They’re gorgeous,” Aline whispers next to her, and Helen nods.

“I have carved handles as well,” the shop keeper offers.

Helen perks up at that, but takes note of Aline’s eyes lingering on a dagger made of adamas and gold. The bottom half of the blade is carved with thorn-like swirls, and her heart misses a bit at the thought that this is it, Aline is willing to show the world who she’s in love with. With her, Helen Blackthorn.

They move to the next glass case then, and Helen barely has time to look at the daggers on display when Aline points at one of them with a decisive nod. It’s a short knife with interwoven bronze threads, the infinity sign over the ebony handle. A minimalist design, yet full of splendor and confidence, and everyone would know this dagger was an engagement present from Aline Penhallow.

“It’s perfect for you,” Aline whispers, stealing a kiss while the shop keeper retrieves the dagger.

Helen cannot stop smiling as she gestures at the shop keeper to grab the dagger she noticed earlier.

“Would you like to engrave them?”

Aline and Helen exchange a look, hesitating still. They thought about it, of course. The shop keeper waits patiently as they meditate on the weight of their words, and Helen is the first one to break out of her trance, turning to him. She slides a piece of paper across the counter, She can almost feel Aline’s eyes, reading the few lines Helen wrote down.

‘Black leather I shall prepare for your hunt,  
I will stand in gold as I wait for your return,  
Be it in saffron or white, we lay together.’

Next to Helen, Aline smiles, “On both blades, please.”


	24. Luxury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aline and Helen share their present, prompt: Christmas Eve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate every kudos, bookmark and subscription. Feel free to say hi in the comments, I love to have a chat with you guys ♥ Happy holidays!

“Look at the time,” Helen comments, pointing at the grandfather clock in the living room. 

It’s beautifully carved with swirling waves that go crashing into the empty air around the massive piece of furniture. Mahogany wood stands out next to their pitiful Christmas tree. It lacks some branches, all of them bare of ornaments except for the twinkling fairy lights that ignite the clock with fiery red and orange flashes.

Aline relaxes onto the beaten up couch, clad in a big yellow sweater and cotton pajama bottoms. Her hair is loose for once, brown strands resting on her shoulder. She holds a cup of coffee to her chest, a mustache of whipped cream above her lips, and she grins at Helen when the blonde picks up their present on the coffee table.

It’s a single box of chocolate, a luxury they can’t usually afford. 

Helen opens the box carefully to pick one, and unwraps the shiny paper from the bauble like chocolate. She splits it in two and hands one half to Aline, grinning as the brown haired woman smears chocolate on top of the whipped cream. Helen reaches up to wipe it off, and brings her thumb to her mouth to suck on the sugary mix.

“That’s not fair,” Aline breathes out.

She puts her cup of coffee on the table and a moment later, their lips meet. Aline tastes of sugar and chocolate, with a hint of vanilla and Helen sucks on her girlfriend’s upper lip with an appreciative moan. They lean down like the sea coming back on the shore, and Helen welcomes Aline’s familiar weight between her legs, kissing still.

Warm hands slip underneath her shirt, pushing the white fabric aside to fiddle with the piercing on Helen’s navel. It’s a drop of water, shining like lapis lazuli, Aline’s first Valentine’s gift to Helen, before they had to find a smaller apartment and start counting every penny.

Helen pushes the thought aside when Aline noses at her blonde hair, the brown haired woman trying to kiss her neck and spluttering when she ends up with a mouthful of curls instead. Helen is kind enough to gather her hair into her hand, while her other hand slides down Aline’s back.

She’s too thin, and probably skipped dinner all week to save money.

They make out for a while longer, and with Aline by her side Helen can almost picture a fireplace in front of their couch, the flames crackling softly and warming up their naked skins. Instead, colorful lights dance over Aline’s bronze skin and Helen’s tawny complexion like northern lights. 

They have their own show right there in the living room, and the clock could stop ticking, Helen would not notice. She loves the sugary taste of their kiss, and the warmth of Aline’s hands on her skin. The sounds Helen’s lover makes are like the melody she’s always longed to compose and together, they forget about time or money because all that matters is them.

**Author's Note:**

>  **I take prompts!** Follow me [on tumblr](https://myulalie.tumblr.com/post/637141364802469888/string-of-pearls-and-prompts) and get in touch, my ask box is open ♥
> 
>  **On feedback:**  
>  “<3” as extra kudos are fine by me. Short comments give me just as much of an adrenaline rush as longer comments because my email notifications don’t discriminate! I give as long as I get (*coughs* read: I reply at length) so you decide if we’re having a quickie in the comments or if you’re taking me out on a date to have an actual conversation ;)
> 
>  _Constructive criticism is welcome_. Please bear in mind that while I will take it into account, I will not rewrite a story that has already been published. I’d rather incorporate relevant feedback (read: concrete examples and suggestions as to how to address the element in question) into a new work and write a different take on the same plot! Once again, I give as good as I get ;)
> 
>  _You are not, by any means, required to comment if you don’t want to_. I will publish every chapter of a complete story no matter the response to it. Find some more thoughts and tips on commenting [on my tumblr](https://myulalie.tumblr.com/tagged/commenting), I make moodboards for my fics too, if you want to follow me :D Happy reading ♥


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